Just three horses went to post for the 15,000 fillies race over the extended mile in Cork, but there was a still a tremendous finish as Tahaany fended off Tirghra

Joseph O’Brien on his father’s Dance With Another led, but in the home straight he was at work on the Danehill Dancer filly. Tahaany, the 8/11 favourite, and Tirghra went past her with a furlong to go and Pat Smullen on board the favourite and seven-pound-claimer Killian Hennessy battled hammer and tongs on the run to the line.

Smullen got his charge’s head in front in the last 100 yards and kept her up to her work for a half length victory from Jim Bolger’s 4/1 shot.

“It was a good performance. She was one of ours today that didn’t have a run under her belt. It was a good performance to give weight to the runner-up,” Kris Weld, assistant to his father Dermot Weld, said.

“She handles softish ground, but mightn’t want much further. The logical thing is to go for some blacktype.”

This brought up a double at Cork for Dermot Weld in races six and seven.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes